This is what Deadline Hollywood reported, "in what is probably the biggest gamble in its 14-year history, I hear Netflix has outbid several major cable networks, including HBO and AMC,
for Media Rights Capital's drama series House of Cards, executive produced and directed by David Fincher and exec produced by and starring Kevin Spacey." The gamble of Netflix is said to be worth $100M, offering a commitment of two seasons, or 26 episodes.

It would mark a shift toward exclusive original programming, content Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has implied the company would not venture toward.

FastCompany reports on Hastings:

"Generally, I'm a believer in circle of competence," Hastings told investors in January.
"When we start taking creative risks--that is, reading a script and
guessing who might be good to cast in it--it's not something that,
fundamentally as a tech company or a company run by a tech CEO like
myself, we're likely to build a distinctive organizational competence
in."

If the reports by Deadline Hollywood, Netflix would
still be licensing the content--not producing it. However, with
licensing deals in the past with content owners like Epix or ABC, much
of the content had already been seen either in theaters or on TV. But
licensing two seasons of a never-before-seen show? Investing in the
talents of David Fincher and Kevin Spacey for an original series? That
would arguably be much more of a "creative risk," something Hastings has
told investors he's not interested in taking.